We'll be right back after this moment of silliness...

Just got a kick out of this video, I've felt like this myself many times!

Laurel Burch Inspired Earrings

For our upcoming summer, I'm making an effort to find inspiration in popular artists works and apply them to camp projects. I found the Laurel Burch felines so charming, and I think our campers will find them appealing as well.

The earring's pictured above are cloisonne, sell anywhere from $20 to $30. I think we can get a similar effect using (my FAVORITE) Shrinky Dinks. We will provide campers with a template of the outline of these adorable kitties, as well as some pattern ideas. They'll color them in, using colored pencil, and outline with Sharpies and cut them out.

We'll punch a hole in the top of them before we bake them and watch them shrink....

Shrink Film can now be found in a variety of colors(!) through Nasco , and that will certainly add to the fun of this great little project.

Classroom Chihuli

Blick Arts and Crafts has been around for years. I was very lucky to meet with two of the representatives at a recent camp convention. I've mentioned before that they have some of the best lesson plans and ideas for Art Teachers.

They now provide beautifully detailed video lessons on a variety of their projects. What an incredible help for the Camp Art Lady! I normally don't get to "try-out" projects prior to our summer sessions, as our materials are shipped directly to camp. With these videos, I can be more comfortable selecting projects that I feel will work within our curriculum.

The Classroom Chihuli was originally presented a year or two ago, and it's always struck me as an attractive project, but honestly, the written directions confused me! Click HERE to see the video tutorial for this beautiful project!

If you prefer, here is the PDF version of the instructions.

Pretty in Pink Bracelet

Oriental Trading is a great resource for art supplies and project ideas. What's even better for the group leader, they break down each craft and show you exactly the beads you need to complete the project.

We strive to offer jewelry projects that will be treasured and appreciated. This bracelet certainly fits the bill. For variety, I might order the beads in a second color to offer campers a choice.

This beading project can be found here.

Marbleized Paper

In my first summer teaching Arts and Crafts, we offered paper marbling to our campers. It remains one of my favorite crafts, as it truly appeals to all ages. Below is a clip from Martha Stewart on marbling, you can see how much fun it is.

She uses a gelatinous water thickening agent and acrylic paints to cause the separation of liquids that creates the funky marbleized design. We have used marbling dyes that can be ordered through enasco.com. They are oil based, so there is no need for any thickening agent.

In a group setting, we use one pan of water shared between 3 to 4 campers. They agree on a "color palate" between them. They each take turns dipping paper in the solution. You can marble nearly any kind of paper. (We've used blank stationary).

Enjoy!

Eco-Friendly Shrinky Dinks

Who knew?? You can shrink recyclable plastic containers marked "6", very much the same as Shrinky Dinks...

Check out this tutorial for a very cute bracelet...

Eco-Friendly Bracelet